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Financial statements audits
Financial statements audits
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Financial statement reviews
Financial statement reviews
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Financial statements compilations
Financial statements compilations
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IFRS
IFRS
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Audit quality monitoring
Audit quality monitoring
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Global audit technology
Global audit technology
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Systems and risk assurance
Systems and risk assurance
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Programmes
Grant Thornton is authorised and regulated by the Government of Malta to handle and submit applications for both citizenship applications as well as residence permits under the various residence programmes available in terms of Maltese law.
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Ordinary residency in Malta
Any EU, EEA or third country national who resides in Malta for more than 3 months is obliged to apply for a Residence Permit. There are various grounds upon which an applicant may apply to require a residence permit, including: Self-Sufficiency, Employment or Self-Employment, Family Members, Permanent Residence, Study Purposes.
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Qualifying Employment in Aviation Rule
Malta provides qualified persons employed in the field of aviation with an opportunity to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta. For a candidate to qualify, their annual income must exceed €45,000. This does not include the value of fringe benefits and applies to the derived income received from an eligible office.
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Qualifying Employment in Innovation and Creativity (Personal Tax) (Amendment) Rules, 2019
These Rules allows persons employed in a role directly engaged in carrying out, or management of research, development, design, analytical or innovation activities, to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta.
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Qualifying Employment in Maritime and Offshore Oil & Gas Industry Rule
Malta provides qualified persons employed in the field of aviation, with an opportunity to enjoy a 15% flat personal tax rate on income generated from their direct employment in Malta.
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Nomad Residence Permit
The nomad residence permit, which was launched in June 2021, allows third-country nationals who would normally require a Visa to travel to Malta, to retain their current employment based in another country whilst legally residing on the island.
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Citizenship by naturalisation
The Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap 188) establishes who may become a citizen of Malta by naturalisation, provided that the applicant satisfies the relative provisions.
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Citizenship for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment
With the continuously changing global dynamics and evolving geopolitics, there is an ever-growing number of highly-talented high-net-worth individuals who are willing to invest and relocate to give themselves and their family members the chance to broaden their horizons and become part of a welcoming community.
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Grant of Citizenship for Exceptional Services
Malta has enacted legislation which extends to individuals providing excellent or manifestly superior contributions in the fields of science, research, sports, arts and culture as well as people of exceptional interest to the Republic of Malta, the right to become Maltese citizens.
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Acquisition of citizenship by registration
The Maltese Citizenship Act (Cap 188) establishes who can register as a citizens of Malta. The Act was amended on 1st August 2007, this making it possible for second and subsequent generations born abroad to acquire Maltese citizenship by registration.
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Internal audit
Internal audit
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Risk management and internal controls consulting
Risk management and internal controls consulting
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Governance and risk management
Governance and risk management
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Regulatory services
Regulatory services
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Risk modelling services
Risk modelling services
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Forensic and investigation
Forensic and investigation
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Compliance audit
A compliance audit is a detailed review which focuses on whether an organisation is in conformity with statutory laws as well as internal rules and decisions. This type of audit also assesses the effectiveness of an organization’s internal controls by identifying weaknesses in compliance processes whilst finding measures to enhance such processes.
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General business consulting
General business consulting
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Business planning and performance improvement
Business planning and performance improvement
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Change and program management
Change and program management
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Business intelligence and analytics
Business intelligence and analytics
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Business valuation and litigation support
Business valuation and litigation support
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Business process outsourcing and consulting
Business process outsourcing and consulting
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Family business consulting
Our business solutions for family businesses center on alignment of all aspects of the family and business, including culture, vision, mission, values, governance, ownership, leadership, communication and policy development.
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Quantitative small caps
Grant Thornton has a wide professional network with a vast array of technical skills that is coupled with a drive to understand the business problem; we can set up the most efficient financial risk management structure that fits your underlying business structure and your risk appetite.
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Data analytics
Data analytics is the process through which businesses leverage data to gain actionable insights and enhance their performance. This is based on a solid foundation of well-organised and accurate data. Many businesses have a large amount of data at their disposal however, most of them do not have the expertise to analyse the available data.
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Maltese Family Businesses Resource Centre
For over 30 years Grant Thornton’s advisory teams have assisted family businesses in navigating the challenges of leadership and succession across generations
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Grooming
Preparing the next generation for leadership and ownership is an integral part of any succession process. Grant Thornton can help formulate the necessary grooming plan for all the potential successors.
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Tax services
Using a combination of reason and instinct, we can work with clients to develop a strategy that helps them understand and manage their tax liability in a transparent and ethical way.
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Access to finance
Like all companies, family businesses need finance. As an ongoing business concern looking at expanding, when it comes to raising capital, it’s important that this is done wisely to minimise the risk of collateral damage.
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Governance
Having a proper governance structure is essential to ensure that the family and business strategies are achieved. Grant Thornton can advise on this, and facilitate the implementation of the ideal governance structure based on the exact scenario.
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Ownership succession
Letting go of your family business is difficult for all owners and even more so for founders; however, in a family business the additional challenge presented by the family component increases the complexity of this process. Our team of family business advisors will ensure that such ownership issues are dealt with in an effective and structured approach.
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Exit strategies
There are many 'exit strategies' that need to be considered to minimise the risk of conflict. They can arise from the eventual exit of a family member from the ownership ranks and can have many causes. See how we can help.
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Management succession
By implementing our family business guidelines to family succession and a proper governance structure, the management succession process can be completed with minimal conflict and will result in the most competent successor being chosen.
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GDPR consultancy
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU's data protection law which brings a lot of changes for your business to prepare. Grant Thornton can help your business make sure it complies to the new regulation.
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Cyber security consultancy
Cyber security consultancy
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IT business consultancy
IT business consultancy
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Technology implementation
Technology implementation
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ESEF Reporting
We are providing a service for listed companies that fall in scope to report in xHTML. Our service includes the mapping of the taxonomy, as well as the output of the audit/regulator ready xHTML report
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IT Audit and Assurance
Information systems strengthens an organisation’s financial and operational processes. Grant Thornton Malta strengthens your organisation’s need for IT and information assurance.
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Human resource consultancy
Human resource consultancy
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Brand development
Brand development
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Marketing and communications consultancy
Marketing and communications consultancy
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Market research
Market research
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EU funding
EU funding
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Bookkeeping & financial accounting
Bookkeeping & financial accounting
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Payroll and personnel administration
Payroll and personnel administration
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Direct and Indirect tax compliance
Tax compliance within outsourcing
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Compilation of financial statements
Compilation of financial statements
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Business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing including back office and secretarial
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Family business consulting
Family business consulting
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Startups
Startups
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Company formation
Company formation
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BOR
Entities in Malta, including companies, partnerships, foundations, trusts and associations, have an obligation to disclose the ultimate beneficial owner/s (physical person) of the entities. A beneficial owner is defined as the individual (s) who ultimately owns or controls a legal entity or arrangement through direct or indirect ownership of a sufficient percentage of the shares or voting rights or ownership interest in that entity.
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Operational and financial restructuring and reorganisation
Operational and financial restructuring and reorganisation
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Recovery
Recovery
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Direct international tax
Direct international tax
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Indirect international tax
Indirect international tax
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Global mobility services
Global mobility services
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Transfer pricing
Transfer pricing
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Estate planning
Estate planning
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Wealth advisory
Wealth advisory
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Regulatory and legal
Regulatory and legal
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Corporate tax services
Corporate services
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VAT
At its simplest, VAT is a tax on consumption and is a multi-stage tax (ie applied at every stage of the production process), which is applied to both goods (ie tangible property) and services. Additionally, although the tax is ultimately borne by the consumer (by getting included in the price paid), responsibility for charging, collecting and passing the tax on to the tax authorities, rests with the supplier.
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2018 Amendments of the Income Tax Act
The following is a brief overview of the new tax provisions introduced in 2018 by the Budget Implementation Act (Act VII of 2018) and other legislative enactments
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Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
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Prospects MTF
As of 2016, small and medium-sized enterprises in Malta can access the capital markets through Prospects - a market of the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) designed specifically for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME). Prospects offers a cost-effective opportunity for entities looking to raise up to €5 million per issue.
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Project financing
Project financing
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Due diligence
Due diligence
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Valuations
Valuations
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Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the category of international investment that echoes the objective of obtaining a lasting interest by an investor in one economy in an enterprise resident in another economy.
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Wholesale Securities Market
WSM is a joint venture between the Malta Stock Exchange and the Irish Stock Exchange, combining the best of each partner’s processes and technical skills.
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Investment Support
The government of Malta has made available several incentive programmes, aimed at supporting Maltese SMEs and start-ups. These support schemes are targeted at different stages of a company’s lifecycle and cover from the start-up to the consolidation and expansion phases. Such incentives are usually promoted and managed by Malta Enterprise, while Trade Malta focuses on supporting businesses to penetrate foreign markets.
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Financial regulatory services
Financial regulatory services
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Ship and aircraft registration
Ship and aircraft registration
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Medical cannabis licensing in Malta
A study published in 2018 by market intelligence and strategic consultancy firm Prohibition Partners, has forecasted that the European cannabis market will be valued €115.7 billion by 2028. According to the same study, while patient numbers are currently below 100,000 across the region, their number is set to grow to over 30 million in the next decade. In 2018 Malta introduced a bill to legalise the use of medical marijuana and attract companies willing to produce high-grade medical cannabis for the European market.
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Trust and trustee services
As an entrepreneur, business owner, parent or guardian, you will want to ensure that whatever happens in the future, the rewards from your hard work can be protected as efficiently as possible. Grant Thornton Fiduciaire Limited (Grant Thornton) understands this and provides a professional and holistic trust management service.
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Family trusts
The law establishes the requirement of a license for one to be able to act as a trustee subject to certain limited exceptions. One such exception is found in the Rules for Trustees of Family Trusts which provide for an exception to this rule where a trust is set up to hold property settled by a settlor or settlors for the present and future needs of family members or of family dependants who are clearly identifiable.
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Aviation
The Maltese Government is constantly remaining to improve the position as the best place to do business within the aviation industry through exhaustive tax agreements, powerful legislation, and many aviation professionals. This is the best time for airlines, financiers and aircraft owners to be located in Malta.
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Maritime
For Maritime, Grant Thornton provide direction with regards to VAT guidelines for yacht leasing, as well as ship and aircraft registration.
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Automotive
We offer a broad range of services relating to automotive, ranging from Transaction advisory, access to finance, business advisory, process and inventory management, tax advisory, audit and advisory, outsourced support services.
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SME Growth
SME Growth
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Startup investment
Start-up investment
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SME Diversification and Innovation
SME Diversification and Innovation
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SME Internationalisation
SME Internationalisation
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SME Consultancy services
SME Consultancy services
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SME eCommerce
SME eCommerce
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Blockchain technology
Blockchain technology
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The Malta Virtual Financial Assets Act
The Virtual Financial Assets Act provides a sound legislative framework for Malta to regulate and responsibly promote the use of cryptocurrencies, crypto-exchanges and other crypto-related services, through which Malta aims to promote further technological innovations and growth, and continue building on its robust financial services industry.
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Our role as a VFA agent
Our role as a VFA agent consists to assist, monitor and provide guidance throughout the full licensing process, and beyond the licensing stage. The VFA agent will be required to apply for the VFA license on behalf of the issuer.
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Initial Coin Offerings
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in Malta have risen to prominence as a method to raise capital from the public, institutions or venture capitalists by selling a percentage of cryptocurrency to investors in the form of tokens in exchange for legal tender (smart contracts).
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Gaming Regulations
Malta recently overhauled the framework regulating the iGaming sector. Going forward operators will still be required to obtain authorisation to carry out regulated activities.
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Licensing Process
Prior to submission all applicants are advised to go through a pre-application process with one of the MGA’s Licensing Officers. This will ensure that the application has been correctly compiled and all the key ingredients are present.
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Malta Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
As part of the 2019 budget, the government has pledged to introduce a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) framework in Malta.
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The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II
MiFID II aims to protect investors and make sure that financial markets operate in the fairest and most transparent way possible. Building on stock and investment trading regulation introduced in 2007 it sets to ensure a more integrated financial market.
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Taxation of Malta Collective Investment Schemes
Malta-registered collective investment schemes (CISs) are generally not subject to Malta tax. Given that CIS are properly structured, such schemes generally can take advantage of a number of tax benefits. When it comes to taxation of investors in collective investment schemes, this will depend on what type of income is being received, whether the investor is a Malta resident or not, and if the shareholder is an individual or a body-corporate?
We all heard about “big data”; which is incomprehensibly large data generated by real people. To give you an idea of scale; 90% of all data was created in the last 2 years, and we currently generate c. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day. Large volumes of data bring challenges to business; how to process such incomprehensibly large datasets to extract real value? And what does this mean for an enterprise in Malta which owns such data?
Business intelligence (BI) is an umbrella term that covers architectures, tools, databases, analytical tools, applications, and methodologies. To generate real value from the data, you can start by asking yourself;
- Am I able to achieve an objective or a goal by using big data analysis?
- Can I do something more with the data I have (i.e. secondary use)?
The challenge of having these questions answered for the Maltese business is usually a circular problem: (1) lack of resources to effectively use BI to answer the questions above, and (2) lack of scale to be able to have resources in place to be able to answer such questions. We can explore solutions and ways to scale upwards once you start building value later in this paper.
First let’s look at some examples where organisations started adding value:
- Objective-driven: I was personally part of a programme management team for a Know Your Customer (KYC) remediation project in a tier 1 bank in UK. Our aim was to reduce information requests to customers by gathering data that can inform us of the Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) risk by combining data to form a detailed profile of the customer. The data that we went for included the average salary per post code; that information by itself may be redundant; but when combined with other data, it provides granular data on the customer that could reduce the need for information requests.
- Data-driven: The intra-bank payment gateway system; SWIFT, found that their transaction data which they keep for audit and traceability purposes, correlates with regional and national GDP growth data. SWIFT realized they can analyse the data they hold to produce reliable leading GDP indicators.
Why is this relevant?
Firstly, and most important; you want to remain relevant in your market; examples like the rise and fall of Kodak and Nokia show us how lack of adaptability can quickly make you irrelevant in a market, even if you are the innovator in that market.
In a survey by (Dresner Advisory Services, LLC, 2017)[1], the authors found that SMEs are the most prevalent users of BI. The reason may be the use of scalable cloud technologies that empowers SMEs. In fact, more than 25% of SMEs with 1-100 employees have mastered BI and use it to automate 80% or more of the reports they issue. This shows that SMEs worldwide are using BI already, and have found ways to evolve its use to add value. There are no such local studies to explore the prevalence of BI, but based on our view of the local market, there is a lack of use for such tools. Main reasons being:
- Data collation stage is not integrated; I have seen cases where data on transactions and stock is hosted by a franchise and not used locally
- Lack of data warehousing capability; no joined-up offline data interrogation capability
- No real data automation; most management accounts seem to be done manually, and there are no automated checks alerting users as issues occur.
- Lack of efficient stock management
- Outdated systems that rely on IT departments to hold them together with regular manual data inputs
What should be my ultimate objective?
Your ultimate objective is to be able to have a system which you are continuously improving to maximise the marginal benefits that you can obtain. This point in the curve is hard to achieve in a “micro” economy like ours – in Malta we lack the scale that can be achieved in larger countries. However, new BI tools and cloud technology have made it accessible to all types of enterprise to start analysing big data without having an expensive IT setup.
How can I start working towards that?
We always advocate to tread water and make continuous improvements to achieve all the marginal benefits obtainable from automating most / some / all of your reporting mechanisms. A picture says a thousand words; actually generating real value by showing a management accounting dashboard such as an automated income statement report will prove your case for more investment into BI to eliminate repetitive tasks. This will free resource to focus on more value adding tasks.
How can we help you
At Grant Thornton we started to use a host of different tools that can help your business get value from data. Our services range from consulting, to hosting management information (including management accounts) that are automatically reconciled and updated periodically.
We understand that each organisation is different; having a conversation about how to tailor your approach to start analysing data will help you generate ideas, and if our services are not right for you, we will guide you and suggest next steps.
[1] Dresner Advisory Services, LLC. (2017). 2017 Small and Mid-Sized Enterprise Business Intelligence Market Study. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC.